News : JLR strengthened by 273 new graduates

Jaguar Land Rover continues to boost its own engineering capacity, with the recruitment of a further 273 graduates. This latest tranche of graduates takes the total number recruited in the last three years to almost 1000, underlining the company’s commitment to develop its next generation of cars and their drivetrains in the UK post-Tata go-it-alone era

The new engineering recruits have come from many of the UK’s leading academic institutions and are joining at an exciting time in the company’s rich history. During their first day with the company the graduates took part in an in-depth introductory programme where they met with members of the Jaguar Land Rover Board, familiarised themselves with the latest vehicle line up and had a glimpse at some of the products of the future.

Graduates joining Jaguar Land Rover will be allocated a home department based on their specialism but will, over the course of the two year programme, have an opportunity to gain experience in a number of functions from Product Development and Purchasing to Logistics and Finance. Dr. Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: ‘Jaguar Land Rover’s drive towards excellence in research, design and innovation has seen us invest heavily in our business but our future success lies in our ability to deliver even more advanced and sustainable products.’

Related

11 Comments

This is very pleasing. Whilst Tata is losing it’s shine at home JLR is proving a very wise aquisition for them. I trust the Indian culture of long-termism far more than the opposite from American ownership. As I say, all very pleasing.

JLR have in a curious way benefitted by Tata’s complete lack of expertise in the segments they compete in; Tata have wisely not tried to tell JLR what to do, and with the problems of the Tata motor division back home, have enough on their plate anyway!

Are these 273 engineering graduates or just any old subject? Part of the problem at Rover was frankly clueless graduates getting preferential treatment/promotion, partly driven by a self-perpetuating HR department.

It’s good news that JLR is taking youngsters on but it would also be good to see apprentices and staff joining with a dealership and/or competitor background as well. From what I can see, universities are increasingly a way to run up huge debts for getting fewer and fewer hours of tuition per week.

@5 – Regardless of what subject they have studied, they clearly have the talent and capabilities to secure jobs with a major Automotive company. Doesnt an organisation like JLR also need Graduates with finance, purchasing and marketing skills? If the place was just run by Engineers they would end up building technically innovative vehicles that where hugely expensive to make, not understanding how much they cost then selling them at a loss. Just how the British motor industry used to operate! And I write that as a Chartered Engineer myself. It takes all sorts to make the world go round.

@5 “Are these 273 engineering graduates or just any old subject? Part of the problem at Rover was frankly clueless graduates getting preferential treatment/promotion, partly driven by a self-perpetuating HR department.”

The same in any large organisation. I worked for ICI for 10 years and saw the company ruined partly as a result of the promotion of the most incompetent bunch of idiots I’ve ever had the misfortune to work with whilst superb engineers and managers were left languishing in the lower reaches of the organisation. Some of the worst incompetents were engineers 🙁

The key is to select the best people, not the ones who toe the company line and speak the management gobbledegook.

It is very good news. There was a time when BLMC (1979) had so few engineers that projects were delayed for years or under developed. Look how long it took Maestro/Montego to be launched. They should have been out by the late 70’s and then would have been OK. Instead they were 5 years too late. I think Mercedes had 4 x the engineers of BLMC!

@5
JLR has recruited into all parts of its business. My son is one of the lucky graduates. He has a degree in Physics and will be working as an engineer but knows of others who are joining finance, marketing etc.
The graduate job market is very difficult at the moment so it is good to see a British company which has the confidence to expand by bringing in talented young people.